Chapter 1

Every time my husband cheated, he would give me a jade bangle.

In four years of marriage, I collected ninety-nine of them.

I forgave him ninety-nine times.

This time, he returned from a three-day business trip with an Imperial Jade Bangle worth millions.

I knew it was time for a divorce.

When Escent Roland walked through the door, I was crumpling up the "Post-abortion Care Instructions" and tossing them into the trash.

Three days ago, he had used a business trip as an excuse to celebrate a young girl's birthday.

The gift of a million-dollar property was glaringly obvious.

In my emotional turmoil, I had lost our child unexpectedly.

Just discharged from the hospital, I stared at the densely packed jade bangles in my jewelry box and, against medical advice, ordered fried chicken and iced cola.

Escent quickly walked over and swept the food into the trash.

"With your stomach issues, you're eating ice-cold food?"

He pulled a velvet box from his briefcase.

"I got this especially for you. It took a lot of effort."

Inside was an Imperial Jade Bangle.

Its color was rich, and the clarity was exceptional.

Such quality was rare on the market, worth at least two million.

He wasn't lying; acquiring this bangle had indeed taken effort.

If I had received it before our marriage, I might have happily thrown myself into his arms.

But now, I felt nothing.

I didn't even want to try it on.

Escent bent down to study my expression.

"Are you upset because I didn't accompany you to visit your mother's grave? We can go now."

I lowered my eyes.

"No need. The anniversary has passed."

Before we married, we had agreed on three rules.

We could skip any holiday, but he had to accompany me to pay respects on my mother's death anniversary.

For the first three years, he had done well.

This year, when I called him, he gently said he was on a business trip in another province and asked what was wrong.

I checked the flights; the latest one was at 10 PM.

He couldn't make it back.

In the end, I went to the cemetery alone.

At my mother's grave, I received an anonymous email.

The photo showed Escent with a young girl cutting a cake, a property transfer agreement on the table.

The world spun.

When I woke up, I was in the hospital, and the baby was gone.

"It was Mom's anniversary... I'm sorry, darling, I forgot."

A flicker of genuine surprise crossed Escent's eyes.

He knelt on one knee and took my hand.

"Let me make it up to you.

How about another Imperial Jade Bangle? This one's two million; next time, I'll get one for three."

From dating to marriage, Escent was always like this.

First, he would apologize.

Then, he would offer emotional comfort.

Finally, he would throw money at me until I relented.

In six years, no one had ever seen him lose his temper.

All our friends praised him as the perfect husband.

Only I knew that this marriage had rotted from the core.

Just as I was about to bring up divorce, my stomach growled.

Escent tenderly ruffled my hair.

"Let me make you some congee first. You can think about whether you want the bangle or a house."

He turned and went into the kitchen.

His phone on the coffee table buzzed.

The screen lit up.

A message from Sophia Lefèvre popped up.

"Escent, thank you for the big house~ These three days were amazing!"

My heart twinged.

I opened her social media.

The cover photo was a picture of the two of them on a mountaintop.

The girl was facing the camera with a peace sign, Escent's back half in the frame.

My fingers trembled as I scrolled down.

The last three days were filled with travel updates.

"He's here, and I can't even open a bottle cap!"

"My crush's smile is too cute!"

"Daily life of a star and her CEO boyfriend~"

Every post had Escent's like.

The latest one was a photo of the Imperial Jade Bangle.

The caption: "Ugh~ so ugly, I wouldn't take it even if it were free."

This was the only post without his like.

The phone buzzed again.

"Escent, I drank too much after you left. Can you come over tonight?"

From the kitchen, Escent's gentle voice called out.

"The congee is almost ready."

I quickly installed a surveillance app on his phone.

After erasing my traces, I put it back.

Escent came out with a bowl of shrimp congee.

Glancing at the phone screen, the corner of his mouth twitched imperceptibly.

He stood up, feigning distress.

"There's an urgent matter at the office. I need to handle it."

I slowly stirred the congee in my bowl.

"If it's busy, just stay at the office."

"Okay."

A flash of joy crossed his eyes, and he even thoughtfully prepared a foot soak before leaving.

After the door closed, I placed the Imperial Jade Bangle in the jewelry box.

Each box held twenty bangles.

This was the fifth full box.

Three years ago, when rumors first surfaced about him and an intern, he came home immediately to explain.

He said it was just a show, a workplace necessity.

That he would only ever love me.

As an apology, he bought the first jade bangle.

Back then, it was only worth twenty thousand.

But I was happy.

I thought he understood my tastes and cared about my feelings.

Over time, the bangles kept coming.

Their prices kept rising.

But I could no longer smile.

On my birthday six months ago, the night I received the eightieth bangle,

I whispered to the cabinet full of jade,

"When I reach one hundred, it's time for a divorce."